My Dad's portrait~1900 & Victrola

This is the portrait where my Dad is wearing the button shoes I posted last evening. The Victrola was my Grandmother's from the early 1900's. It still works beautifully with the 33-1/3 RPM records! The green Oreck beside the machine is just a bonus! I was vacuuming earlier!

Thanks, Silver, I'm so glad other folks like the way I refinished it, too. On the inside bottom, there are about 100 vertical slots to store the records, and I covered each one in green felt, and it looks gorgeous, if I do say so myself! Thanks, Ank, glad you stopped by to see my treasures.

Morris, I have a ton of those old records inside the Victrola. Warbler, that is the original frame. I took it apart once and repainted the frame, and the color on the portrait was like dust in my hands, so I've been so very careful with it since then. I need to probably get it restored, but just can't get up the nerve. I keep thinking something might happen to it!

Thanks for saying that, Robbie. Now I don't feel so badly about refinishing it. I love the way it looks, too. Lyndee, I can also remember some of those old songs they played, and still have some of them by Jimmy Rogers. You're right, some things you never forget, not matter how silly. Thanks, Gracie, I think so too.

Your dad was three years older than my dad. My mom used to have a Victrola like this one. It played the thick records. I remember one was "She Walks In Her Husband's Sleep". Some things just gets in your brain and stays there forever!

Great, Art4Sight, I'm so glad you saw this. I don't know if you can tell, but the little "dress" he had on was blue and just the shade (at one time) of his eyes. Through the years, his eyes in the portrait have maintained the color, but the rest has faded tremendously. He had the most amazing blue eyes, almost teal colored, and it shows in this portrait. He looked almost mad here, and I suppose he was, because I can't imagine keeping a 2 year old still long enough to have a painting like this done! He might have just been scared.

Angel, yes, and in real life (at least when I knew him), my Dad was a big joker! Laughing all the time and only serious when he had to be, thoroughly enjoying life all the way. I don't have that chair, but I have an Oak table and chairs that my grandfather made which are just beautiful, and just as old. You can't change the speed on the Victrola, and I devalued it because I refinished it, as you can tell. I don't really care, because its value to me is not measured in dollars anyway. I like the way it looks. You're most welcome, it's my pleasure to share.

Thanks, Tex! I can certainly see the similarity between the two outfits. What wonderful portrait to have ..... of your father! I think that is so cool. Aren't we blessed to have these family pieces! Thanks for posting!!

No, he's sitting in a high straightback wooden chair. I tried for a long time to get a decent picture of this but this is the best I could do. It's too old and fragile and massive to try to scan it. Thanks.

You did a really good job, tex. There are no reflections on the glass and the shoes are easy to recognize. He is so somber. Can't you imagine everyone telling him to sit real still? Do you also have the little chair he is sitting on? That Victrola is a jewel. Can you change the speed on it? Thanks for sharing it with us. (((((tex))))))